Pressing device



June 17, 1969 5, BRlCKER 3,449,846

PRESSING DEVICE I Filed June 12, 1967 Sheet of 2 WITNESSES INVENTORSamuel 'R. Bricker AGENT June 17, 1969 s. R. BRICKER PRESSING DEVICESheet 2 0:2

Filed June 12, 1967 United States Patent "ice 3,449,846 PRESSING DEVICESamuel R. Bricker, Shelby, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse ElectricCorporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June12, 1967, Ser. No. 645,407 Int. Cl. A47j 51/00 U.S. CI. 38-71 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Actuator mechanism for a combination pressingand steaming device. The mechanism comprises a lever arm pivotable aboutits center and provided at one end thereof with a protuberance fordepressing a diaphragm in the wall of a water tank to thereby actuatevalve structure in the tank, the one end of the actuator being furthercharacterized by having means thereon adapted to cooperate with the wallof the water tank to prevent overtravel of the actuator and thereforethe protuberance.

Background of the invention This invention relates, in general tocombination pressing and steaming devices and, more particularly tosteam actuator mechanism therefor.

It is well known that water feed structure for pressing devicesutilizing steam and the means for actuating the feed structure must beprecisely constructed in order to obtain satisfactory steam generation.In conventional steam irons, the water reservoir is stationarily mountedwithin a housing structure and is provided with a top fill opening. Avalve extends through the to opening and into a valve seat in the bottomof the reservoir. Calibration or setting of the valve stem for properoperation has, heretofore, been accomplished by providing certainadjustable elements which can be utilized to compensate for certaintolerance build up between assembled parts.

The type of device herein contemplated does not lend itself to beingprovided with adjustable means for such calibration, and therefore, mustrely on holding close manufacturing tolerances in one part or another.One method has been to hold to close tolerances, the thickness of acasing section to which a valve actuator is mounted. This method provedto be unsatisfactory because of the wide variation in tolerances.

Accordingly, the general object of this invention is to provide, in asteam pressing device, new and improved mechanism for actuating thevalve thereof.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a new andimproved actuator mechanism for use in a steam pressing device whichmechanism limits valve stem travel.

Another object of this invention is to provide a valve stem and actuatortherefor which need not be adjusted for calibration thereof to produceproper valve stem operation.

Summary Briefly, the present invention accomplishes the abovecitedobjects by providing a molded valve actuator in a steam pressing devicewhich actuator is pivotally mounted in an opening in a wall of a casingsection. One end of the actuator which is pivoted through the openingengages a molded diaphragm provided in one wall of a water tank orreservoir, the end of the actuator being provided with a protuberance onthe surface of boss formed in the actuator. The longitudinal axis of theboss is greater than the longitudinal axis of the aperture supportingthe diaphragm while the dimensions of the pro- 3,449,846 Patented June17, 1969 tuberance are smaller than the aperture. It will be apparentthat engagement of the wall portions delineating the aperture with theboss will limit penetration of the protuberance into the water tankthrough deflection of the diaphragm. In this manner displacement of thevalve actuating mechanism which is engaged by the diaphragm is keptwithin tolerable limits by holding close manufacturing tolerances onmolded pieces such as the diaphragm and the actuator.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent when considered in view of the following detailed descriptionand drawings forming a part hereof.

Description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is an end planned view, partlybroken away, of a combination pressing and steaming device representingthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 1, but with the actuatormechanism in one operative position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the actuator incorporated in theinvention;

FIG. 4 is an end planned view of the actuator shown in FIGURE 3, butpartly broken away;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the device illustrated in FIGURE 1,but with the actuator shown in FIGURE 3 removed;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the inner side of casing section whichsupports the actuator as shown in FIGURE 3; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines VII-VII of FIGURE 6.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to the drawings,especially FIGURE 1, reference character 10 designates generally acombination pressing and steaming device comprising a pair of easingsections 11 and 12, preferably molded from a suitable material, forexample, plastic, and secured together by suitable means, not shown.

A cavity 13 is formed between the sections 11 and 12 for receiving awater reservoir or tank 14, as shown in FIGURE 2. The tank 14 isprovided internally thereof with valve structure (not shown), the outlet(not shown) of which communicates with a heater generally indicated at15 through an inlet opening 16 at the bottom of the cavity 13.

The heater 15 is provided with a first pressing plate 17 and has securedthereto in opposed relationship to the plate 17 a second pressing plate18. The plate 18 is secured to the heater 15 by means of an L-shapedbracket 19 and is provided with a groove 20 for receiving a flange 21 ofthe plate 17 thereby forming a hinge joint therebetween which allows theplate 18 to be pivoted away from the plate 17 to facilitate insertion ofworkpiece therebetween. The plate 18 is normally biased toward the plate17 by a pair of coil springs 22 (only one being shown). An arm 23secured to the back side of the plate 18 by a screw 24 cooperates withthe L-shaped bracket 19 to serve as lever for effecting movement of theplate 18 away from the plate 17.

Movement of the arm 23 is effected by means of an actuator 25, bestshown in FIGURES 3, 4, '6 and 7. The actuator 25 preferably comprises aunitary structure which is preferably molded from a suitable plasticmaterial. Referring to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that the actuator 25has two segments 26 and 27 which lie in intersecting planes so that theactuator may be rocked or pivoted about a pivot point comprising a pairof trunnions 28, molded integrally in the casing section 12, andtrunnion receiving grooves 29 provided in the actuator 25 (see FIG UR ES5, 6 and 7). The actuator 25 is secured, in an opening 30 in the casingsection 12, by means of an I-shaped member 31 disposed on the oppositeside of the casing section from the actuator. The member 31 is securedto a post 32 carried by the actuator 25 extending through the opening30, fastening being accomplished by means of a conventional fastener 33screwed into the post 32 at 34.

When the actuator 25 is pivoted clockwise, it is viewed in FIGURE 1, aprotuberance 35 carried thereby engages the arm 23 to effect movement ofthe plate 18. Rotation of the actuator 25 in the counterclockwisedirection, as viewed in FIGURE 2, effects actuation of the valvemechanism (not shown) through the depressing of diaphragm 36,represented schematically in FIGURE 2 by dotted lines, by a protuberance37 carried on a boss 38 preferably formed integrally in segment 27. Ascan be seen in FIGURES 2 and 6, the dimensions of the boss 38 are suchthat it and protuberance 37 will pass through the opening 30, however,only the protuberance 37 will penetrate the water tank 14 (see FIGURE2). This is because the longitudinal axis of the boss 38 is greater thanthe aperture in a wall 39, of the water tank, in which the diaphragm 36is disposed.

Since numerous changes may be made in the above described apparatus anddilferent embodiments of the invention may be made without departingfrom the spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in theforegoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pressing device adapted for simultaneous steaming and pressing,a casing including two sections cooperating to support therebetweenstructure for rendering such pressing device operative, means disposedintermediate said casing sections for supporting a Water tank, a watertank carried by said support means, said water tank comprising a walledstructure having an aperture in one wall thereof adjacent an opening inone of said casing sections, yieldable means in said aperture, actuatormeans carried by said one of said casing sections adjacent said opening,means carried by said actuator means operative to depress said meansupon movement of said actuator means, means cooperating with saidactuator means to limit movement of said actuator means to insure properoperation of valve mechanism in said water tank and to prevent damage tosaid yieldable means.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1, wherein said movement limitingmeans comprises, a boss having at least one dimension thereof which islarger than said aperture and wherein said means for depressing saidyieldable member comprises a protuberance carried by said boss.

3. Structure as specified in claim 1, wherein said actuator meanscomprises a unitary structure having arm segments lying in intersectingplanes, said actuator being provided with trunnion receiving grooves topermit rocking thereof in said opening.

4. Structure as specified in claim 3, including means for containingsaid trunnions in said grooves.

5. Structure as specified in claim 4, wherein portions of said actuatormeans are larger than said opening and said actuator is inserted intosaid opening from inside of said one of said casing sections, saidtrunnion containing means comprising a resilient member positioned onthe opposite side of said one of said casing sections and secured tosaid actuator.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,461,006 2/1949 Sowers .l 38712,748,511 6/1956 Pezza 387l 2,750,692 6/1956 Finlayson.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

